Barrel



Patented pr. 10, .1934

PATENT OFFICE UNITED STATES smooth surface on its inner and outerfaces;`

which requires no hoops of wood or metal to bind it together; which isof great strength and yet is sufliciently resilient to resist breakagefrom.

rough handling; which is substantially as strong in the seams as atother points thereof; which is substantially as strong' as and ofi aboutone-half the weight of the. barrels commonly in use at the present time;which requires no special tools or devices for assembling, closing orsealing; and which will hold its contents securely and adequatelyprotect themfrom damage.

I attain these and other objects by the devices and arrangementsillustrated in the accompanying drawing; in which- Figs. 1 and 2 areenlarged-sections showing, respectively, two contiguousedges of twosemi- 'cylindrical sections of a barrel, separated; Fig. 3 shows themsecured together to vform the joint or seam of the barrel; Fig. 4 is anend` elevation of one such semicylindrical section before beingassembled with a complementary section to form a barrel; Fig. 5 is anend view of a nest of such sections ready for storage or shipment; andFig. 6 is a side elevation of my improved barrel, showing a part of itsside broken away to reveal the means of closing the ends thereof. I

Similar numerals of reference refer `to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that my improved barrelcomprisestwo arcuate sections, 1 and 2, built up of the usualconstruction of plywood, in which the grain of the several layers runsat right-angles to that of the contiguous layers, and each having theinner side of one longitudinal edge -3 and the outer side 4 of the otherlongitudinal edge cut away to the center '.of the thickness of theplywood (Figs. 1 and 2), for a short distance from said edge, to permita similar section to be fitted thereto (Fig. 3) to form the twolongitudinal joints or seams (Fig. 6) ofV the barrel. As above statedthe edges Y, are cut away in complementary manner to give p a widearcuate or tangential joint between the said parts and to permit theadjacent edges and shoulders to butt against each other. It will bereadily understood from a consideration of Fig. 3 that the strength ofthe barrel at the seam, thus formed, is substantially the same as atother portions thereof because, as is well understood, the grain of thecentral layer of plywood extends around the barrel while-the grain ofthe inner and outer layers extends parallel to the axis, Since thecentral layers of the two sections forming the joint are only partly cutthrough, it follows that the outer and inner layers are both re- (i5enforced against splitting by the uncut portion of the central layers.The outer and inner layers of the barrel, therefore, provide therequisite axial strength and stiffness tothe barrel, while the innerlayer provides the circumferential TG allel to the axis of the barrel.

Under usual conditions I prefer to secure the two edges of the sectionstogether by means of staples 5, driven in from the outside and clenchedon the inside, but nails, tacks, or other securinao means may be adoptedif desired.

The ends of the barrel may be closed by solid wood or plywood closurepieces 6, cut to proper size and shape and secured in place by suitablecleats 7, fastened into .the inner edge of the barrel. These cleats 7may be conveniently made from trimmings of the barrel sections 1 and 2and may be extended entirely around the inner periphery of the barrel,outside of the head 6, or may be made of shorter pieces, spaced apart,as is desired for the particular use to which` the barrel is put. Thusit will be seen that my improved barrel maybe shipped and stored innested or knockdown condition, as indicated in Fig. 5 and, when it 95-is desired to' use them, they be assembled by 4placing two such sectionsin reversed relative positions and stapling the edges together throughthe lap joint above described. Such a barrel will expose a smoothsurface, both to the outside and the inside will occupy the leastpossible space; will add but little weight to the weight of the materialbeing shipped therein; will be strong and stiff and yet resilient; andwill stand a great amount of rough handling without injury.

Although, in the drawing and in the above description, AI have shown anddescribed a barrel constructed of three-ply plywood, itis to beunderstood that I do not conne myself to any particular number of pliesof which such plywood is to il be constructed but that there must be atleast three such layers. In practice it may be found that ve or evenmore layers will be necessary for barrels designed for particularpurposes, but for ordinary use it has been found that threeplyconstruction is most satisfactory, It is, of course, to be understoodthat the several layers of the plywood are properly cemented or gluedtogether in the usual manner. Also, I have shown and described thebarrel as made in two semicylindrical sections 1 and 2, but itis to beunderstood that I do not wish to limit myself to any particular numberof such sections as the barrel could be made in three or four sectionswithout materially affecting its strength, but, again, I nd that thesemicylindrical construction is most satisfactory. Again, if theknockdown feature of this construction should not be desirableythebarrel may be made in a single section having only one seam.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1. A joint between twobodies of wood, each body comprising two layers of wood cementedtogether to form a single structure, the rst or contacting layers eachhaving the grain running at right-angles to the bursting stress on thejoint and parallel with each other, said contacting layers beingreenforced by the second layers cemented thereto, each to each, saidsecond layers having their grain running parallel with the burstingstress on the joint and parallel with each other; and metallic fasteningmeans passing through the four overlapped layers thus formed and adaptedto carry the bursting stress from one second layer to the other secondlayer and to relieve both said rst layers of bursting stress.

2. A joint between two bodies of wood, each body comprising two layersof wood cemented to gether to form a single structure, the rst orcontacting layers being each of substantially onehalf the thickness ofthe second layer and each said first layers having the grain running atrightangles to the bursting stress on the joint and parallel with eachother, said contacting layers being reenforced by the second layerscemented thereto, each to each, said second layers having their grainrunning parallel with the bursting stress on the joint and parallel witheach other; and metallic fastening means passing through the fouroverlapped layers thus formed and adapted to carrythe bursting stressfrom one second layer to the other second layer and to relieve both saidfirst layers of bursting stress.

3. A longitudinal joint between adjacent edges of contiguous portions ofa cylindrical wooden barrel, the edges of the portions beingcomplementarily cut away to substantially the central plane to permitthem to overlap; each of said overlapped portions comprising two layersof wood cemented together to form a single structure, the first orcontacting layers being each of substantially one-half the thickness ofthe second layer and each said first layers having the grain runningatright-angles to the bursting stress on the joint and parallel witheach other, said contacting layers being reenforced by the second'layerscemented thereto, each to each, said second layers having their grainrunning parallel with the bursting stress on the joint and parallel witheach other; and metallic fastening means passing through the fourAoverlapped layers thus.

and to relieve both said rst layers of bursting stress.'

GEORGE H. OSGOOD.

